LSU/Alabama: The Let Down of the Century

Posted by Carron J. Phillips on November 7, 2011 · 1 Comment 

(Dear Bama and LSU fans, before you fill up my Twitter timeline and Facebook wall please read the entire article and not just the headline.)

All the employees in the public relations departments at ESPN and CBS should get raises this week, because they definitely did their jobs.

It was helmed as “The Game of the Century.”

This was #1 vs. #2. The two best teams in the country playing a regular season game in which the winner would have the inside track to play in the BCS National Championship game. Not only were these two teams in the same conference, but they were also in the same division (SEC West). Here we were, five years after the last regular season #1. vs. #2 matchup (Michigan/Ohio State in 2006) with this showcase being featured within the conference that has won the past five national championships.

But then Saturday night happened, and for everyone who wasn’t an LSU, Bama or SEC fan, we walked away feeling kind of empty.

Was it a great game?

Yes.

Did we witness the two best defenses in the country slug it out?

Yes.

Was it a classic case of grown man football?

Definitely.

But was it “The Game of the Century”?

HELL NO!

As I commented on the game all Saturday night on Twitter, I received a lot of backlash. Most of it centered around the fact that I was upset that no touchdowns were scored and that we witnessed a total of 15 points; all on field goals. They said that this was a riveting game full of defense, and some even threw out the most clichéd saying in sports; “Defense Wins Championships.”

But when LSU played Kentucky this year the Wildcats were able to muster up at least one touchdown and they have the 118^th ranked offense in the country. The Tennessee Volunteers were able to the do the same, as they fair a little better at 96^th.

The Crimson Tide feature the country’s best statistical defense, but just like LSU they gave up touchdowns to teams with atrocious offenses. With the 100^th ranked offense, Penn State was able to break double digits and score 11 points against Nick Saban’s team. Even the Ole Miss Rebels at 106^th were able to get into the endzone, and this is from a team that just fired their coach (Houston Nutt) because he couldn’t get the job done.

While the focus of Saturday’s night game fell on the defenses, and deservedly so, the horrific offenses that took the field are what hurt the game from living up to its potential. For instance, neither team was able to acquire more than 300 yards of total offense, and LSU (who used two quarterbacks) threw a total of 17 passes for 91 yards.

I’ll say it again for you. The wining team threw 17 passes for 91 yards, with 2 interceptions and an average of 5.4 yards a completion. And while Alabama has a great secondary, they aren’t 91 yards good. I mean Joe Flacco had a better performance on his final drive last night against the Steelers, and that guy is terrible.

Now I know some of you may agree with me, while others are already two sentences deep into a rant I’ll soon see in my comment section. But I want to leave with some scores from other #1. vs. #2 games that actually lived up to the hype. Go look them up on YouTube, or Google the box score. And once you have done that, then come talk to me because I bet you too will want those 3 hours back you wasted watching CBS Saturday night.

Past Historic #1 vs. #2 Matchups.

#1 Nebraska (35) vs. #2 Oklahoma (31) 1971

#1 Ohio State (42) vs. #2 Michigan (39) 2006

#1 Florida State (16) vs. #2 Miami (17) 1991

#1 Florida State (24) vs. #2 Notre Dame (31) 1993

#1 Notre Dame (10) vs. #2 Michigan State (10) 1966

#1 Iowa (12) vs. #2 Michigan (10) 1985

#1 Army (0) vs. #2 Notre Dame (0) 1946

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